To help our customs broker to expedite your request, please provide us with information about your shipment. That includes:
- Value/estimated value of the merchandise;
- Country of purchase and country of origin;
- A detailed description of the merchandise or link to the website of the manufacturer;
- Mode of transportation used for delivery from a foreign country to the port of discharge in the United States;
- Estimated dates of shipping and arrival.
Do you need a broker? If you have to file a Formal Entry, or the CBP officer or the shipping company advise you to hire a broker, you should get one.
How to Choose a Customs Broker
Pay attention to the license
Companies must have a broker license to transact Customs business. For this purpose, each company must have at least one individually licensed officer, partner, or associate to qualify the company’s license. However, an employee of the company who handles your shipment may not be an individually licensed broker.
When you discuss your import transaction, you should know whether you are speaking with a licensed broker or some other employee of the company—for instance, entry writer, account representative, or entry clerk.
Why is it important? Because it is all about qualification and reliability. To get a license, the individual has to prove that they qualify to transact Customs business.
The process of licensing includes examination and background check. The examination takes place only twice a year. Also, its passing rate is between 3% and 22%. Furthermore, the background check is a multi-agency investigation. That includes a review of character references, credit reports, fingerprint analysis, and arrest records.
Importers can check the legal credentials of brokers on the CBP website: https://www.cbp.gov/contact/find-broker-by-port/5401/8QX.
The size does (or does not) matter.
A multinational corporation with factories in different countries, and sophisticated cross-border supply strategies should choose their brokers wisely because mistakes and delays can be costly on a large scale. The corporation can hire more than one broker or use one brokerage company with enough resources to handle the corporation’s supply chain. However, the services of large customhouses come with a price.
If you have three or fewer shipments per week, it could be better to work with a smaller brokerage company. They are usually able to offer personalized services at a lower price.
Location does not matter.
Should I choose a broker near me or at the port of entry?
Most customs brokers have National Permit and set up for Remote Location filing. That allows them to conduct business at all ports of entry in the United States. For this reason, importers don’t have to hire a broker at the port of entry anymore.
Today, almost all import clearances in the United States are done electronically. In fact, for most entries, CBP does not accept paper filing anymore. Therefore, the trade community must report imports and exports through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE).
As a result, parties conduct most of their business via phone, email, and other means of electronic communication. For that reason, the proximity of the brokerage to your place of business is not a factor anymore.
Contact us and request information on fees, tariffs, and other questions regarding your shipment: send a message.